When Charles Leclerc guided the Ferrari SF-26 out of Madring’s completed pit lane, Madrid’s Formula 1 project stopped looking like a construction promise and started behaving like a race track.
Leclerc handled the morning running before Lewis Hamilton took over later in the day. Together, they completed 37 laps around the 5.4-km circuit. That distance works out at roughly 199.8 km, taking Ferrari to the edge of the 200-km limit permitted during a promotional filming day.
This was the first time a current Formula 1 car had attacked Madring’s 22 corners. Ferrari used Pirelli demonstration tyres rather than normal race compounds, but the SF 26 still placed meaningful forces through the asphalt, kerbs and banked sections.
The outing also gave track organisers their first chance to run communications, marshal posts and safety procedures with an F1 car at speed. It was a shakedown for the entire venue, not just Ferrari.
Ferrari Tested More Than The Asphalt
Ferrari occupied five garages and brought enough personnel and equipment to recreate the basic rhythm of a Grand Prix operation. The car initially followed the safety car before beginning its solo run.
That allowed Madring staff to test radio communication, marshal coordination and trackside response procedures. Organisers also inspected how the kerbs, walls and run-off areas worked once a modern F1 car began using the circuit.
Madring later confirmed that the day covered asphalt behaviour, circuit response, safety processes, communications and the performance of its permanent infrastructure. Motorsport site Crash.net reported that neither Ferrari nor the venue encountered a major issue during the session.
That matters because the circuit is not finished as a complete event site. Grandstands and several fan areas remain under construction. The racing surface may be ready, but thousands of spectators, support categories and 10 F1 teams will place much greater pressure on the venue in September.
La Monumental Gave Ferrari Valuable Mechanical Data
The most useful information may have come through La Monumental, the long, banked corner that Madring hopes will become its signature feature.
Its banking reaches 24%, forcing the car to manage vertical and lateral loads at the same time. Different racing lines can alter floor clearance, suspension compression and the energy required to carry speed through the corner. Ferrari could compare those real forces with its simulator calculations months before every rival arrives.
Engineers could also watch how the SF-26 reacted over the street sections. Surface changes and small bumps matter because the current cars generate much of their performance beneath the floor. Running too low increases the risk of the car striking the asphalt. Raising it protects the floor but can sacrifice aerodynamic performance.
Ferrari did not publish its wing level, ride height or power unit mode. Any claim that Leclerc and Hamilton ran a complete Spanish Grand Prix setup would therefore be guesswork. What Ferrari gained was a reliable physical reference for grip, surface quality and car movement.
Turn 1 Already Has The Internet Watching
Madring’s opening sequence produced a different conversation. The run from the grid to Turn 1 is short, leaving drivers little time to establish position before the field compresses under braking.
Onboard footage quickly led viewers to study the available asphalt around the corner. Several predicted that drivers would test the limits of the circuit immediately, particularly during qualifying or a crowded opening lap.
“I can see the exact part of the track Max will cut,” one Instagram user wrote after watching Ferrari’s laps.
The joke captures a genuine issue for race control. A single Ferrari running in clean air cannot reveal how 20 cars will approach Turn 1 together. The FIA must decide where drivers can place the car and how strictly it will police the corner before the race weekend begins.
That concern belongs to the circuit’s tight opening phase. A few corners later, the challenge changes completely as drivers approach La Monumental. Instead of fighting for room at low speed, they will need confidence in the banking, the tyres and the car’s floor clearance.
We will not know the corner’s real sporting value until drivers attempt to follow closely and attack on the exit.
Ferrari’s Early Knowledge Comes With Limits
Ferrari leaves Madrid with information no other team currently possesses. Leclerc and Hamilton now know what the circuit looks like from the cockpit. Its engineers have real surface data and can refine their simulator model before September.
Still, Ferrari did not conduct a conventional test. Promotional tyres have different grip and wear characteristics from the compounds Pirelli will supply for the Grand Prix. The 200-km limit also left little time for setup changes, long runs or detailed tyre analysis.
The session offered no meaningful comparison of race pace, degradation or performance in traffic. Ferrari could learn where the bumps are and how the banking loads the car, but it could not simulate an entire Grand Prix weekend.
Formula 3 will provide a stronger operational examination when it tests at Madring on August 24 and 25. More cars will mean more traffic, rubber on the racing line and pressure on the venue’s safety systems.
Construction crews must also finish the remaining spectator facilities. Meanwhile, officials need firm plans for track limits, vehicle recoveries and changing grip across a full weekend.
Ferrari proved that a current F1 car can cope with Madring’s demanding layout. In September, 20 cars will reveal whether Madrid has built a circuit that can produce close racing rather than a weekend controlled by traffic and penalties.
READ MORE: Why A Formula 1 Exit May Beat A McLaren Move For Max Verstappen
FAQs
How many laps did Ferrari complete at Madring?
Ferrari completed 37 laps, covering about 199.8 km. That took the team close to the 200 km filming day limit.
Who drove Ferrari’s SF-26 at the Madrid F1 track?
Charles Leclerc drove first. Lewis Hamilton took over later in the day.
Why did Ferrari use demonstration tyres at Madring?
Filming day rules required special promotional tyres and limited Ferrari to 200 km. The session could not provide normal race tyre data.
What is La Monumental at Madring?
La Monumental is Madring’s long banked corner. Its banking reaches 24% and places major vertical and lateral loads on the car.
When will Formula 1 race at Madring?
Formula 1 will race at Madring in September. Formula 3 will first test the circuit on August 24 and 25.
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